116 Reviews
Hotel Normandie - Los Angeles
Koreatown Los Angeles|0.3km from BongChu
This hotel is just old- not old and ”quaint” or ”charming”. Except maybe the lobby. Yes- the bones and the original architecture are lovely. Until you look closely. You can see where the old original walls were and where they've chipped away to open it up. The original doors in the rooms would be beautiful had they been taken care of. You can see the wood-color caulk/fill over nails that no one has ever bothered to stain over. You can see where the old handle/lock plates were- no one has bothered to blend them. The original vent in the shower is caked and gross. The furniture is worn and and scratched up. And no- not in a cool, ”rustic” way, just plain worn out. This is what I can't forgive. You can only throw so many layers or paint or caulk or work at old walls or floors etc. But you can certainly replace aging furniture. Between the old, musty smell and the overall poor condition I kept shoes or socks on when in the room. If you are lackluster about taking care of the hard surfaces- what's lurking in that area rug? Just felt ”ick” overall. The amount of money I paid to say here was pretty upsetting. The staff barely cracked a smile at check-in. He just took my ID and started typing. It took a really long time during which he pretty much never spoke- just stared at the screen while we stood there. He smiled when he handed us the keys- and that was it. The other person was the same to the couple next to us. What's funny was some of the other staff was buzzing around and seemed happy and (possibly?) helpful- put some of those people at your desk. No coffee in the room; tea and kettle only. No coffee in the lobby either. You have to go to their hotel restaurant. There is no luggage rack. I wound up putting my suitcase on the long counter where the tea/glasses were. (Shown in the photo). There is a mini-fridge. We did not look at it. The parking is not covered and caddy-corner to the hotel. It does have an attendant. I am adding this because I couldn't find this info. on their website. And they place their Normandie sign inside the lot by the valet tent. Common sense would dictate you put it at the street; not inside the lot. I will say that the beds were comfortable and the linens were very clean. (Never so excited about the smell of bleach.) The bathroom was clean but the surfaces are old- again you can only clean them, caulk, paint in so many layers. The tub and shower fixtures were worn and chipped. At some point you need to replace old and busted with new fixtures that match the period structure. With the price point of this hotel I shouldn't have to second guess taking a shower. We stayed here to be within walking distance to the Wiltern. We would not stay again. Don't get fooled by the glossy marketing photos. I really don't understand the high reviews. I've stayed in many a small, older hotel where you can appreciate the fine details. Even if not perfect they felt cared for. Age is no excuse for worn out furnishings, smel
Very Good
256 Reviews